Motherboard and server using the same

Abstract

A motherboard includes a switching circuit, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connector, and a peripheral component interconnect x16 (PCIEx16) connector. The switching circuit is connected to the SATA connector and the PCIEx16 connector. The PCIEx16 is also connected to a serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS) card. The switching circuit is disconnected from the PCIEx16 connector if a SATA hard disk drive (HDD) is connected to the SATA connector. The motherboard communicates with the SATA HDD through the switching circuit and the SATA connector. The switching circuit is connected to the PCIEx16 connector if the SATA connector is connected to an SAS HDD. The motherboard communicates with the SAS HDD through the SATA connector, the switching circuit, the PCIEx16 connector, and the SAS card.

1 . A motherboard, comprising:
 a serial advance technology attachment (SATA) connector operable to be connected to a hard disk drive (HDD);   a peripheral component interconnection express x16 (PCIEx16) connector operable to be connected to a serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS) card; and   a switching circuit connected to the SATA connector and the PCIEx16 connector;   wherein if the HDD is a SATA HDD, the switching circuit is disconnected from the PCIEx16 connector, the motherboard communicates with the SATA HDD through the switching circuit and the SATA connector; if the HDD is an SAS HDD, the switching circuit is connected to the PCIEx16 connector, the motherboard communicates with the SAS HDD through the SATA connector, the switching circuit, the PCIEx16 connector, and the SAS card.   
     
     
         2 . The motherboard as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the SATA connector of the motherboard is connected to the HDD through an SATA cable. 
     
     
         3 . A server, comprising:
 a chassis;   a hard disk drives (HDDs) arranged in the chassis, and comprising a power interface and a data interface;   a power supply connected to the power interface of the HDD;   a serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) (SAS) card comprising a plurality of peripheral component interconnection express x16 (PCIEx16) golden fingers; and   a motherboard comprising:
 a serial advance technology attachment (SATA) connector connected to the data interface of the HDD; 
 a PCIEx16 connector connected to the PCIEx16 golden fingers of the SAS card; and 
 a switching circuit connected to the SATA connector and the PCIEx16 connector; 
   wherein if the HDD is an SATA HDD, the switching circuit is disconnected from the PCIEx16 connector, the motherboard communicates with the SATA HDD through the switching circuit and the SATA connector; if the HDD is an SAS HDD, the switching circuit is connected to the PCIEx16 connector, the motherboard communicates with the SAS HDD through the SATA connector, the switching circuit, the PCIEx16 connector, and the SAS card.   
     
     
         4 . The server as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the SAS card is electrically connected to the PCIEx16 connector of the motherboard through an adapter board, the adapter board comprises a plurality of PCIEx16 golden fingers and a PCIEx16 connector, the SAS card is inserted into the PCIEx16 connector of the adapter board, the golden fingers of the adapter board is inserted into the PCIEx16 connector of the motherboard. 
     
     
         5 . The server as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the data interface of the HDD is connected to the SATA connector of the motherboard through an SATA cable.